The presentation will argue that newer evaluation approaches could be helpful for optimising the learning processes underlying successful VET collaboration with regional stakeholders, like work place learning partnership with local industries and universities. These networks cross typical organisational boundaries and carry on with many different actors and can't be evaluated by those tools which centre on single learner/teacher frameworks. It will be described what aspects of VET could be interesting subjects of evaluation including the dimension of collaborative learning in a work place learning partnership. An example of a formative evaluation method will show the potentials of an evaluation tools for collaborative VET in regional context. The presentation covers several project and development initiatives in the Region of Bremen which like to strengthen the local VET system as well as the VET Institutions and the networking with local industries and other important stakeholders. A second point will be to characterise German cases which try to link concepts of regional VET dialogue, learning region and regional innovation networks. Vocational education (like vocational further education) is seen in this a key component of innovation, if we understand innovation as the constant improvement of products and production processes. This is true in two ways: first as a scientific branch of training and education that constantly has to improve methods, learning content and learning forms to keep pace with innovation. And second, this helps the clients of VET - the students trained and educated - to actively further the innovation process and through the right qualifications to gain or retain the chance to get a (qualified) job.